North Carolina

Harris is heading to North Carolina to survey Helene's aftermath one day after Trump visited

Published

1 year ago

October 5, 2024

Harris is heading to North Carolina to survey Helene's aftermath one day after Trump visited

WASHINGTON (AP) — Democratic presidential nominee Kamala Harris is heading to North Carolina on Saturday as the state recovers from Hurricane Helene, arriving there one day after a visit by Republican Donald Trump, who is spreading false claims about the federal response to the disaster.

Earlier in the week, Harris was in Georgia, where she helped distribute meals, toured the damage and consoled families hard-hit by the storm. President Joe Biden, too, visited the disaster zone. During stops over two days in the Carolinas, Florida and Georgia, Biden surveyed the damage and met with farmers whose crops have been destroyed.

The two have been vocal and visible about the government’s willingness to help, and the administration’s efforts so far include covering costs for all of the rescue and recovery efforts across the Southeast for several months as states struggle under the weight of the mass damage.

In a letter late Friday to congressional leaders, Biden wrote that while the Federal Emergency Management Agency’s Disaster Relief Fund “has the resources it requires right now to meet immediate needs, the fund does face a shortfall at the end of the year.” He also called on lawmakers to act quickly to restore funding to the Small Business Administration’s disaster loan program.

More than 200 people have died. It’s the worst storm to hit the U.S. mainland since Katrina in 2005, and scientists have warned such storms will only worsen in the face of climate change.

But in this overheated election year, even natural disasters have become deeply politicized as the candidates crisscross the disaster area and in some cases visit the same venues to win over voters in battleground states.

Trump has falsely claimed the Biden administration isn’t doing enough to help impacted people in Republican areas and has harshly criticized the response. He has, in Helene’s aftermath, espoused falsehoods about climate change, calling it “one of the great scams of all time.”

During a stop in Fayetteville, North Carolina on Thursday, Trump renewed his complaints about the federal response and cited “lousy treatment to North Carolina in particular.” In fact, the state’s Democratic governor, Roy Cooper, said this week the state has already seen more than 50,000 people be registered for FEMA assistance, and about $6 billion has been paid out.

Biden, meanwhile, has suggested the Republican House speaker is withholding critical disaster funding.

Harris’ visits, meanwhile, present an additional political test in the midst of a humanitarian crisis. She’s trying to step into a role for which Biden is well known — showing the empathy that Americans expect in times of tragedy — in the closing stretch of her White House campaign.

Until this week, she had not visited the scene of a humanitarian crisis as vice president — that duty was reserved for Biden, who has frequently been called on to survey damage and console victims after tornadoes, wildfires, tropical storms and more.

Harris said this week that she wanted to “personally take a look at the devastation, which is extraordinary.” She expressed admiration for how “people are coming together. People are helping perfect strangers.”

She said that shows ”the vast majority of us have so much more in common than what separates us,” an echo of a line she frequently uses on the campaign trail.

“We are here for the long haul,” she said.

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Associated Press writers Makiya Seminera in Boone, North Carolina, and Meg Kinnard in Fayetteville, North Carolina, contributed.

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North Carolina

Lower gas prices and open roads create ideal holiday travel conditions for NC travelers

Published

12 hours ago

December 22, 2025

Press Room

Lower gas prices and open roads create ideal holiday travel conditions for NC travelers

ASHEVILLE, N.C. (WLOS0 — Nearly 3.7 million North Carolinians are expected to travel at least 50 miles from home over the 13-day year-end holiday period that started on Saturday, Dec. 20.

Thaissa Braga, a Florida resident who traveled by car to spend the holidays in Asheville.

WHITE CHRISTMAS UNLIKELY FOR MANY IN U.S. WITH WARM TEMPERATURES IN HOLIDAY FORECAST

“We thought we needed snow tires for the wheels and stuff, but it wasn’t anything like that. It was smooth sailing, not many accidents along the way. We did leave at 4:30 in the morning, so that was a little crazy, but it was worth it,” Braga said.

One plus for anyone traveling by car to their holiday destination this year is that gas prices are lower than they were last year, with the national average dipping below $3 per gallon for the first time in four years.

According to the same AAA report, which anticipates nearly 3.7 million North Carolinians traveling over the year-end holiday period, it also says that most of them travel by car.

DEC. 21, 2025 – Nearly 3.7 million North Carolinians are expected to travel at least 50 miles from home over the 13-day year-end holiday period that started on Saturday, Dec. 20. (Photo: WLOS Staff)

To help drivers get to their destinations safely and on time, the North Carolina Department of Transportation removed all lane closures where possible across the state through Jan. 2.

However, David Uchiyama with NCDOT says there are some areas in western North Carolina where the lane closures must remain in place, like the stretch of Interstate 40 going through the Pigeon River Gorge.

“It’s open with one lane in each direction, a 35-mile-an-hour speed limit, narrow shoulders,” said David Uchiyama, the Western Communications Manager with NCDOT.

Uchiyama is reminding drivers to plan their trips ahead of time, and he says one helpful resource is drivenc.gov.

DEC. 21, 2025 - Nearly 3.7 million North Carolinians are expected to travel at least 50 miles from home over the 13-day year-end holiday period that started on Saturday, Dec. 20. (Photo: WLOS Staff)

One person who planned for her trip is Asheville resident Emily Lamb; however, she’s flying instead of driving to visit her family in Ohio.

“Preparing for this trip looked like calculating my PTO for one. And then really comparing plane ticket prices and timing of things. And overall, just being intentional with any gifts I take home,” Lamb said.

According to the AAA report, over 200,000 of the North Carolina Holiday travelers will travel by plane.

ASHEVILLE REGIONAL AIRPORT SHARES HOLIDAY TRAVEL TIPS AMID ONGOING RENOVATIONS

The Asheville Airport published holiday travel tips online, telling people to make a parking plan before arriving at the airport.

A helpful resource is their website, which has a map of their parking areas.

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North Carolina

Life-threatening injuries reported after shooting on I-73 South near Wendover Avenue, Greensboro police say

Published

24 hours ago

December 21, 2025

Press Room

Life-threatening injuries reported after shooting on I-73 South near Wendover Avenue, Greensboro police say

GREENSBORO, N.C. (WGHP) — One person was left with life-threatening injuries in an overnight shooting Sunday, according to the Greensboro Police Department.

At 12:52 a.m., officers responded to a man down call at Interstate 73 South just before the Wendover Avenue exit and found one shooting victim with life-threatening injuries. They were taken to a local hospital.

I-73 South at Wendover Avenue was closed following the shooting. As of 10:22 a.m. Sunday, the road is still closed.

No suspect information was available.

The investigation is ongoing.

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North Carolina

Seth Trimble returns to lead No. 12 North Carolina past Ohio State 71-70

Published

1 day ago

December 21, 2025

Press Room

Seth Trimble returns to lead No. 12 North Carolina past Ohio State 71-70

ATLANTA (AP) — Henri Veesaar scored the winning basket on a dunk with 7.2 seconds remaining off a pass from a stumbling Seth Trimble, and No. 12 North Carolina held off Ohio State 71-70 on Saturday.

Trimble, playing his first game since breaking his left forearm in a Nov. 9 training mishap, wanted to shoot but tripped as he spun into the lane. As the senior guard was falling, he dished the ball to Veesaar, who slipped past his defender for the emphatic slam.

Ohio State had two chances to pull off the upset.

John Mobley Jr. missed a 3-point try, only to have Devin Royal grab the offensive rebound under the basket. He went back up ahead of the horn, but Caleb Wilson blocked the shot to preserve the win for the Tar Heels.

Trimble, who played with a wrap covering much of his left arm, and Veesaar both finished with 17 points. Wilson led North Carolina (11-1) with 20.

Trimble also did a stellar defensive job on Ohio State star Bruce Thornton, who was held to 16 points on 7-of-16 shooting. He came into the game hitting 60.2% from the field.

Royal led the Buckeyes (8-3) with 18 points.

Mobley put Ohio State ahead on a 3-pointer with 48.7 seconds to go, also drawing a foul that made it a four-point play for a 70-67 lead.

Trimble hit a drive in the lane to cut the margin, and Jarin Stevenson made a steal as Ohio State tried to get the ball into the frontcourt to set up the winning basket.

It was the second game of the CBS Sports Classic at State Farm Arena in Atlanta. Kentucky defeated No. 22 St. John’s 78-66 in the opener.

Up next

Ohio State hosts Grambling State on Tuesday.

North Carolina is back in Chapel Hill to face East Carolina on Monday.

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